Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

Kissing Carly wasn't helping his already elevated heart rate, but Shane didn't care. He'd almost lost her. He could still see Thompkins's gun pointed at her head. Leaping between her and a bullet was exactly the dumb-ass thing Donovan thought he'd do, but Shane couldn't regret it. Carly was safe and whole lying beneath him. Exactly where he wanted to keep her. Only not on a pallet of hotdog buns. With half of the stadium's security force watching. Reluctantly, he pulled out of the kiss. Touching his forehead to hers, he waited until both their breathing settled. Her hands moved from his hair to his jaw. He pressed a kiss into her palm.

Joel was whimpering in the background, crying about being shot in the leg. Hell, if Shane had been the one shooting, the guy wouldn't be around to cry.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he asked finally. He knew right away it was a stupid time to bring it up. Her body tensed and her blue eyes, still bright with unshed tears, snapped to his face. "Donovan and I could have taken him. That was a stupid thing to do! He could have killed you!"

"Well, I'm not dead, am I?" she hissed as she shoved him off her. "And pardon me for not knowing Crockett and Tubbs were on the case!" Donovan snorted somewhere behind them. Slapping his hand away, she struggled to get off the slick pallet of shrink-wrapped rolls.

Shane hopped to his feet, he wasn't letting her walk away again. She went to push past him. "Troy!" she called, and Shane's heart went to his throat.

"Where is he?" she asked, shoving him aside.

Donovan snapped to attention along with the security guards milling about. Joel continued to cry from his spot on the floor, but Carly stepped over him.

"Troy was here?" Shane asked in disbelief.

She stepped over spent CO2 canisters lying on the ground. "Yes, he was behind this."

"Got him," Donovan said from behind the rack. Shane leaped over the overturned rack to find Troy buried under several of the heavy canisters. Donovan was checking his pulse as Carly knelt beside him, tears in her eyes.

"I didn't see Molly with him," she said.

"We already found her," Donovan reassured her. "She's fine."

"EMTs are on their way," someone said behind him.

Carly pushed Troy's hair off his forehead. "He's out cold," she said.

"Looks like one of these bad boys hit him in the head," Donovan said, gesturing at the canisters.

"Troy," Shane said as he crouched beside him. Lifting one of his hands, he gave it a squeeze. "Hey, wake up, buddy. You did it. Carly's here and she's safe." He looked over at the woman he knew he couldn't live without while holding the hand of the boy he wouldn't live without. There were tears in his eyes, but he really didn't care who saw them.

"Sweetie, please, wake up. Shane needs you." Carly's whispered plea was nearly his undoing. Did she not know he needed them? Her and Troy.

The police and the EMTs arrived like the cavalry. Joel was howling now as they cuffed him to a gurney. Donovan waved one of them over to look at Troy.

"What have we got here?" the EMT asked just as Troy's eyes fluttered open.

Carly let out breath as she bent down to kiss his cheek.

"Hey there, bro. Glad you could join us," Shane teased.

"Head hurts," Troy breathed. Shane made room for the paramedic, shifting to stand behind Carly, resting his hands on her shoulders. Troy winced as his head was checked over.

"Aunt Carly!" Molly shrieked as they arrived at the team lounge inside the stadium. Shane had carried Troy there as soon as the EMTs said he could be moved. Donovan had summoned the team doctor to take a look at him.

Molly launched herself at Carly, hugging her tight. C.J. stood behind her, a wide smile on his face. It had been a long time since C.J. had graced her with one of those smiles, and Carly smiled back.

"You're okay!" Molly cried. "I was so scared when Joel took you away."

"I'm fine, sweetie. Thank you for being so brave back there. I'm sorry I had to leave you."

"It's okay. Troy and I knew you were only trying to protect us." Like most kids, Molly recovered quickly. Carly was relieved to see it. She hated putting her and Troy in danger. Looking over at Troy beside her, she reached out her hand to grab his. Shane stood beside the two of them. He placed his own hand over theirs and squeezed .

A flurry of people rushed into the lounge, including Matt. Carly quickly pulled her hand away.

"Would someone mind telling me why I wasn't informed a nutcase held my family hostage?" Matt bellowed in his take-no-prisoners coach's voice. Molly ran into her father's outstretched arms.

"Things happened very quickly, Coach." Donovan's voice came from somewhere behind her. "We had to hurry to neutralize the situation."

Matt opened his mouth to say more, when Hank Osbourne materialized behind him. "A job well done, Mr. Clark," he said, placing a mollifying hand on his coach's shoulder. "Only minor injuries, I hope," he continued, surveying the scene around him.

"Our boy sustained a nasty conk on the head. My guess is he's concussed." Dr. Mittal, the team's elderly physician, was examining Troy with a small flashlight. "He'll need a CT scan and maybe an MRI to be on the safe side. I'd recommend a night in the hospital for observation since his vision is still foggy and he was out for several minutes." He glanced up at Shane, who nodded his concurrence. The doctor pulled out his phone to notify the EMTs.

Matt pulled Carly into the circle of his arms, Molly squeezing in beside her. "You're both okay?"

"We are now," Carly said, but her body had begun shaking uncontrollably and her teeth were chattering. Pulling away from Matt, she felt as if she might faint. Before she could hit the floor, Shane had scooped her up and was carrying her to the sofa opposite Troy. Dr. Mittal hurried over and was checking her pulse while the others crowded around.

Carly inhaled a deep cleansing breath.

"I'm fine," she said as the doctor felt the back of her head. "I just felt a little faint, that's all."

"Trauma can certainly cause someone to faint," the doctor said. "Of course, there are a multitude of reasons why a woman of your age would faint. Might there be another reason, Carly?"

Huh? Was he asking what she thought he was asking?

C.J. chuckled. "Whoa!"

"No!" she replied to the doctor.

Matt took another step closer. "Carly?" he asked, concern written all over his face.

"No!" she said a little more vehemently.

Shane shifted her in his arms, separating her from the crowd surrounding them. The position allowed her to see his face more fully. He almost looked as if he wanted it to be true. Tears sprung to her eyes. Had she known for sure she wasn't pregnant, she'd wonder, since she seemed to tear up at the drop of a hat.

"No," she croaked. Shane brought his face to within inches of hers, grasping her hand at the same time.

"You're sure?" he asked softly. "Because I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'd be thrilled."

Carly swallowed the lump in her throat, gently shaking her head. Had he been serious? It was enough for Carly to wish she were pregnant.

"I almost lost you," he continued in that same hushed tone so only she could hear him. "It's taken me all my life to realize I don't want to be alone. Because of you, I gave Troy a chance and now I don't want to live without him. And neither of us wants to live without you. The life that I never thought I deserved, that I never thought I would have, is right here with you and Troy. And some wack job with a handgun almost took that all away from me. He almost took you away. What I'm trying to say—in my own sorry way—is I love you, Carly. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He pressed a finger to her lips, which was okay because she was too stunned to form any coherent words anyway.

"Hush," he said. "Drink this." He reached behind her for a glass Donovan had brought over from the bar. "You're shaking like a leaf. We can talk about this later. Privately. I just needed to get that off my chest before something else happened to mess it all up." He brushed a kiss across her forehead as he handed her the glass.

"I was going to give her this," Dr. Mittal said, walking over with a syringe. "But that works, too."

"Devlin." Uh oh. Matt playing overprotective brother-in-law was worse than his take-no-prisoners coach mode. She had to give Shane credit though, he didn't flinch. Ignoring his head coach behind her, he cupped her face with both hands.

"I meant what I said. Every word of it," he said as he gently brought his lips to hers for a brief but very meaningful kiss.

"Man, this is getting good!" C.J. said.

"C.J.!" Matt, Carly, and Shane said at the same time.

"Oww!" Troy mumbled, covering his ears.

"We need to get this young man out of here," Dr. Mittal ordered. The EMTs arrived. They carefully placed Troy on the gurney, ready to wheel him to the waiting ambulance.

"We'll finish this discussion later." Shane dropped another quick kiss on her lips before rising to follow Troy out.

"Where do you think you're going?" Matt demanded. Carly couldn't tell whether Matt was still in coach mode or brother-in-law-mode, but either way, he looked like he wanted to kick Shane's ass across the room.

"I'm not letting him go to the hospital alone. I'm the only family he's got." Shane stood toe-to-toe with Matt, a situation that couldn't possibly end well.

"I need you here calling plays."

"Matt! It's only a preseason game," Carly said, nearly spilling the untouched Scotch. "Troy needs him more than you do."

The two men didn't take their eyes off one another as the rest of the room looked on in silence. "He stays, or he loses the starting position."

Carly shot to her feet. "That's not fair!" she cried. "Matt, stop being a jerk!"

"Don't, Carly," Shane said softly. "I know what I have to do." Stepping past Matt, he called over his shoulder. "Tell the Potato Head to have a good game."

The room was silent as he left.

"How could you?" Carly said, her voice trembling with anger. Her legs gave out again and she sank down onto the sofa.

Matt rubbed his hands through his hair and sighed. "Clark, will you see that my daughter and my sister-in-law get to the owner's box without incident? And make sure they stay there the entire game."

Donovan cleared his throat. "A couple of the local police want to ask them both a few questions. I need your permission for them to speak with Molly."

Gathering Molly in his arms again, Matt pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "If it gets too much for you, Mols, you tell Aunt Carly you want to stop, okay?"

Molly nodded against his chest.

"That's not all," Hank said, his eyes on Carly. "There are scores of media out there wondering what's going on."

Carly swallowed deeply, eyeing the glass of liquor. "It figures."

"Let Asia handle it," Matt said, tersely.

"No, Matt." Carly had had it with him bossing everyone around. "They won't let it go with just a statement. They'll hound me for days. It's okay. After what I just when through with Joel, what's a little dustup with the paparazzi, right?" Carly forced a smile at the four men surrounding her like a group of warriors. She was alive. Joel was gone. And Shane loved her. Her smile became genuine as she realized she actually could face a room of reporters.

C.J. placed an arm over her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Atta girl, Aunt Carly," he whispered before placing a kiss on her cheek.

With a decisive nod, Hank and C.J. headed out of the room. Matt stopped at the door, asking over his shoulder, "Do you love him, Carly?"

"A lot more than I love you right now," she answered belligerently.

He turned his head and winked at her. "As it should be."

"Oooh!" Carly tossed a pillow at him as he walked out of the door.

The game was in the third quarter by the time Carly made it to the hospital. Fortunately, the New Jersey detectives hadn't asked too many questions. The occupants of the owner's box were a different story, however. Everyone present wanted to know the details. Carly had spent an agonizing twenty minutes on the phone with Lisa reassuring her that she and Molly were fine. Molly was happily ensconced at the stadium, reveling in the attention. Earlier, Donovan relayed the news that Troy had sustained a concussion but no other head injuries. As Dr. Mittal predicted, he was being kept overnight in the local hospital for observation.

Carly knew where she needed to be.

Slipping into the darkened room, Carly stood inside the door, taking in the scene. Both Troy and Shane were lying in the hospital bed. With one hand propped behind his head and his feet crossed at the ankles, Shane's oversized body didn't look too comfortable hanging over the edge. The football game played on the TV with its sound muted, its light illuminating their faces. Troy's eyes were closed. Shane touched a finger to his lips before sliding off the bed. Tucking his hands in the pockets of his shorts, he stopped in front of the door, leaving a foot of space between them.

"Hey there," he whispered.

"Hey yourself." Carly bit her lip, unsure why she was so nervous. "How is he?"

"Fortunately for him, he inherited the hard head of the Devlin men." He laughed softly. "His ears will ring for a few days, but he should be fine otherwise. He doesn't remember anything after lunch today, but the doctor said that should come back slowly."

"It's probably better he doesn't remember."

"And let Molly have all the glory? No way. He needs details to be big man on campus the first day of school."

It was Carly's turn to laugh. "I brought your overnight bag," she said, placing the bag on an empty chair.

"They let you in the locker room?"

"I still have friends on the team. Mr. Potato Head threw two interceptions for touchdowns in the first quarter."

"Yeah, how 'bout that," Shane said, a slow, sexy grin crossing his face. He didn't seem too concerned about his starting job at quarterback.

"I caught the press conference before the game," he said. "That had to be hard for you, letting the media have a go at Darling Carly." He reached over and ran his knuckles down her cheek.

"Actually, you're the one getting all the press. You'll be happy to know the Devil of the NFL is now officially a hero. Hank couldn't be prouder."

Shane laughed again as he put his hand back in his pocket. Carly wanted to hear his laugh over and over. Every day. She also wished he would take his hands out of his pockets and touch her again.

She wrung her hands, unsure what to say. "Shane, about before," she began softly. He took a step forward, but still didn't touch her.

"Were you . . . were you serious?" she asked.

"About which part?" he whispered, taking another step closer so his body was nearly flush with hers. She could feel the heat radiating off him. The scent that was uniquely Shane's thrilled her senses. It was a comforting smell and it gave her the courage to continue.

"All of it. Especially the part about the baby?" His hands left his pockets as she spoke, creeping around her waist to pull her closer.

"Every word," he breathed into her neck. " Especially the part about the baby."

She turned her mouth toward his. "Even those three little words?" she spoke against his lips.

"Even those three little words," he said before sealing his mouth to hers. Carly pressed her body against him, opening her mouth to his kiss. This was what she wanted. This man. This life. Forever.

Breaking the kiss, she cupped his face with her hands. "I love you, too, Shane Devlin."

"About time. You might have mentioned that fact after I jumped between you and a loaded gun," he teased.

"About that." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You do realize that by purposely engaging in such reckless behavior, you are in violation of the team's code of conduct."

"Huh." He began nibbling her neck, nearly causing her knees to buckle. "Do you have a specific punishment in mind?"

"Hey!" Troy groaned from the bed. "Get your own room, why don't ya. You're grossing me out here. "

Shane raised an eyebrow. "Babies turn into to twelve-year-olds eventually. You wanna reconsider?"

"No way. You made a verbal declaration in front of witnesses. I'll overlook your penchant for creating a media frenzy with everything you do as long as I get babies. Lots of babies." She leaned in for another kiss.

Troy laughed from the bed behind them. "Potato Head just threw another pick six. I'd say your starting job is secure for opening day, bro."

Breaking the kiss, Shane rushed over to the bed to catch the replay. Carly followed, letting him pull her onto his lap as he sat in the recliner beside the bed.

"This is the only starting job I need, kid," Shane said as he reached across to gently ruffle his brother's hair. Carly smiled as she snuggled in closer. She really should tell them Matt was punking Shane earlier. Maybe later. Right now she was enjoying being part of a family. Her very own family.